Location: The Galilee
Temperature: Warm, then chilly, then warm
Excitement Level: *****
New Discoveries: The Jordan River has a striking resemblance to Fishtrap Creek. Translation for all you non-Lynden people: It's not that big.
Have you ever seen Lord of the Rings? For those of you who have, you'll understand my next narrative. For those of you who haven't, stay with me. The Galilee reminded me of The Shire. It was so green and lush. It was hilly. I kept waiting for the theme music to start and little hobbits to jump out onto the road.
We began our morning early. As usual. Wake-up call was always at 6:00 with breakfast at 6:30. We were all on the bus by 7:00 and on the road in the direction of the nearest and highest mountain by 7:03. On this particular day, however, the mountain hike that our Rabbi has his eye on was a definite no-go. It had rained the night before and the paths were far too muddy for hiking. Oh. Darn. That is just too bad.
Therefore....Plan B. On the way to Plan B, we were told that we would be crossing the Jordan River. Sweet! Where is it? I don't see any large bodies of water coming up? Hmmmmm.....
"OK folks...here it comes....ready....and....hereitis!"
And there it goes. Or, thereitgoes would be more fitting. Lucky I had my camera ready. And that I didn't blink. The moment would have passed me by, and I would have spent the next 30 minutes staring out the bus window just waiting...and waiting....and waiting...Our bus came to a stop and we all piled out, ecstatic about our "flast and fast" jaunt to Plan B. Sometimes it's just nice to know that you're calves won't be burning by 8:17 a.m. We walked for awhile. It was gorgeous. And then there were raging waters. "Oh, I hope we stop!"
Wish granted.
We were at the mouth of the Jordan River. And it was incredible. And very wet. And there were signs instructing us to not go in the water. Really? Because I was ready to grab the blow-up raft I keep in my backpack next to my hand sanitizer and toilet paper and go white-water rafting down the Jordan River rapids.
Then we hit the trail again and hiked along the springs that feed the Jordan River.
It was a tad muddy.
Biblical body of water #4. Check.Our hike took us to the remains of the temple of Pan near Caesarea Philippi, an ancient Roman city located at the southwestern base of Mount Hermon. Pan is the Greek god of shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, as well as the companion of the nymphs. And I don't want to get into it, but some freaky stuff went on here, OK? Back then, I mean.
Jews and other believers avoided this place like the plague. Too many pagans. It was the gate to hell. So, why, as recorded in the Gospels, did Jesus take his disciples here? To this very place? It was here that Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" The disciples told him that some people thought he was John the Baptist, reincarnated. Others thought he was the prophet Elijah. Then Jesus asked them, "Who do you say that I am?" And Peter confessed his adoration for his Master. "You are the Messiah".
Our Rabbi gathered his flock at which point those of us who are especially camera happy caught our beloved Rabbi in action. Two actions. The two actions that Rabbi George will be remembered for.
#1. Checking his watch. He was notorious for saying, "We're trying to fit 15 pounds in a 10 pound bag today, guys." He wanted to show us as much as he possibly could in the Galilee, so it's only natural for him to check his watch and keep us moving.
#2. Epically pointing. He was always pointing. Not just "pointing"...epically pointing.
Next stop, Zippori.
Zippori is another ancient biblical city located approximately five miles north of Nazareth. During the time of Jesus, Zippori was a large, Roman-influenced city as Herod the Great had captured the city in 37 BC.
There are upwards of 40 mosaics to see at Zippori. Now, I know what you're thinking. I just showed you some of Herod's mosaics from his bathhouse at Masada. Yes, I'm aware of this. However, these mosaics are different. Many of these mosaics are speculated to have been laid during the time of Jesus's childhood. Herod, wanting the best men for the job, called for all of the highly-skill crafsmen, or tectons, within a 10-15 mile radius to come to Zippori and work. It is believed by some Biblical scholars that Joseph, the father of Jesus, may have very likely been one of these tectons. Therefore, is it also likely that Jesus, as a young child or even a teenager, would have walked from Nazareth to Zippori to watch his father work. Maybe to bring him lunch? We'll never know, but it's incredible to think about.
It was raining in the Galilee during our visit, and due to some leaks in the roof above the mosaics, rain would drip through and bring out the vibrancy of the colors in the mosaics. 
Back on the road and what should we see....a rainbow. In the Galilee.
I guess their rainy season isn't over. Allow me to take some of the credit for this rain. You see, if you remember back to the morning of Day 4, yours truly found it necessary to apply deodorant after a lovely night's sleep under the stars on top of Mt. Sinai. Some people on the trip attributed this simple wave of the wrist to all the rain later in the week. I say, let it be. I, for one, am not complaining. I would rather hike in the rain than in 100 degree weather. So, you're all welcome.
And then we arrived at the place I had been looking forward to seeing since committing to this trip back in the late summer of 2010.
The Sea of Galilee.
It took my breath away. We were finally here. We were finally in the place where we knew, without a doubt, that Jesus spent his time. In fact, much of the ministry of Jesus occurred on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. 
In the time of Jesus, the Sea of Galilee was found on the Via Maris, an ancient trade route that linked Egypt with the northern empires. The Sea of Galilee, therefore, was booming with small settlements and villages, as well as with trade and ferrying by boat.
It was here that Jesus called four of his twelve disciples: the fishermen Simon and his brother Andrew, and the brothers John and James. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
It was on a bluff overlooking this lake that Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount.
It was here that Jesus fed the 5000.
It was here that Jesus calmed the storm using only his words.
It was here that Jesus walked on water.
It was here, following his resurrection, that Jesus appeared to his disciples. The disciples had been fishing all evening and had caught nothing. The next morning, a man on the shore called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" The disciples did not recognize that the man was Jesus. They replied, "No." Jesus instructed the disciples to throw their net on the right side of the boat, telling them it was there they would find some fish. The disciples complied. They didn't argue or question this stranger's orders. The just did it. And when they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. 153 fish to be exact. It was at this point that the diciples recognized Jesus, and Peter jumped into the water and began swimming to shore as the other diciples followed in the boat, dragging the net full of fish behind them.
The disciples didn't question the Lord's orders. They just did it. How often in our lives do we question God's plan? His instructions for our lives? I'll be honest, if I were one of those fishermen who caught nothing after an entire night of fishing, I would not be so quick to comply to a stranger's orders. Especially when the orders seem so bizarre. The other side of the boat? Really? What is THAT going to do?!? How different might my life look if I didn't question God? If I just did what he called me to do? The disciples had faith. Faith in their Master. Faith in their Savior. Faith in a Stranger.
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
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